Many storytelling books use fairy tales to demonstrate master storytelling. The truth is, fairy tales don’t translate to great business stories.
Take Cinderella, for example. A great fairy tale…a lousy marketing story. In case it’s been awhile since you heard the original story, it goes like this
Cinderella’s stuck with a mean stepmother. She’s forced to work as an unpaid servant, performing difficult and unpleasant chores, waiting on her sisters. There’s no mention off her father, who married this evil woman and then seemingly disappeared.
Cinderella’s last straw moment comes when the local prince holds a big dance party at the local palace. The stepsisters and stepmother refuse to let Cinderella go.
So here’s the poor girl, sitting by the ashes in the fireplace (hence the name “Cinder-ella”) when her fairy godmother appears. With a wave of her wand, the godmother gives Cinderella a beautiful gown, a coach and horses, and those famous glass slippers.
Cinderella dances with the prince, who falls in love with her. She barely makes it home before her coach turns into a pumpkin and the horses into mice. In her haste, she leaves one of her glass slippers behind at the palace.
But the prince hasn’t forgotten her! His servants take the slipper around town to find a foot that fits. (No off-the-rack 7.5B for this slipper!)
The Cinderella story reappears in various contemporary media, notably Pretty Woman and View From The Top. It’s a classic.
But Cinderella won’t work as a marketing story.
That’s because prospective clients need to see down-to-earth, realistic solutions for their problems – solutions that build on what they get from you, the business owner, and what they create for themselves.
Contemporary stories feature a hero who’s in trouble and a guide who helps out. The problem is, today’s guides come with competition. There’s not just one fairy godmother: there’s a handful of godmothers looking for clients!
Imagine the competition. “That godmother sends you home at midnight. With our company you’ll get a. 3 AM deadline!”
Let’s turn the Cinderella story around.
Suppose we told the story from the fairy godmother’s perspective. She’s more like a personal development coach, with a touch of SuperNanny and Mary Poppins.
Godmother finds Cinderella crouched miserably by the fireplace. With just a wave of the wand (or a gold Amex card), she sets the girl up with a gown, shoes, and a coach – all the accouterments of a princess wannabe.
“Now it’s up to you!” Godmother says. “But everything goes back to the rental company at midnight.”
Cinderella almost blows it. But thanks to the godmother’s clever coaching, she’s caught the eye of the prince who’s hosting the ball. And now she gets to write a testimonial for the godmother’s website.
Now that’s the beginning of a marketing story.
From my book, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time.
Also discussed in my Udemy Course, Storytelling for Small Business Marketing.